DESCRIPTIONS OF TRIBES AND GENERA. 



173 



Species six, in Europe, North Africa and temperate 

 Asia, often introduced into other countries. L. perenne 

 L., English " Ray -grass" (Fig. 91), is a perennial, with 

 leaves folded in the bud, and awnless spikelets. A valu- 

 able pasture-grass upon fresh, heavy soils, and much 

 prized for lawns. L. Italicum A. Braun, Italian " Ray- 

 grass," lasts 2-3 years; leaves rolled in the bud; spike- 



Fig. 91.— Lolium perenne L. (After Nees, Gen. Germ., I. 78.) 



lets mostly awned. A tall-growing species, and can 

 therefore be well recommended for mowing. Very 

 profitable when irrigated. L. temulentum L. " Darnel " 

 (Crcepalia Schrank. as a genus), annual, flowering glumes 

 elliptical at maturity ; empty glumes as long as or longer 

 than the spikelets. A weed among grain crops, trouble- 

 some in wet years. The grain, as well as that of the 

 related L. remotum, which is frequent in flax fields and 

 distinguished by the shorter empty glumes, contains a 

 narcotic principle (Loliin) soluble in ether, which 



